


Neighbors

by Starofwinter



Series: Sex and Candy [48]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Neighbors, anomaly is a better person than he thinks he is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 18:15:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16142792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starofwinter/pseuds/Starofwinter
Summary: Kix gets a little insight into the person Anomaly is outside of work.





	Neighbors

“Oh, you’re looking for Anomaly?”  The elderly woman squints at Kix, and he straights up to attention unconsciously, trying to look as respectable as he can in a faded band tee and a pair of shorts.  “What do you want with him?”

“I’m a friend, ma’am, we work together.  I just wanted to check on him and see if he wants to go out for a coffee.”  He clears his throat, giving her a smile.

“He’s not in any kind of trouble, is he?” she asks, and he shakes his head quickly.

“No ma’am.  None at all.”

She stares at him for a long moment, and then breaks into a kindly smile.  “You’re a floor off then, son. He’s in the apartment over mine. You know, I don’t think that boy has many friends.  He keeps to himself so much, I worry about him, especially with those nightmares I hear; my James served too, I know what night terrors sound like.  And he’s always in that apartment of his, he doesn’t go out much; I never even see him with groceries - he always offers to carry mine though, he’s a good boy.  So polite! Here, hold on a minute.” Kix doesn’t know how to extract himself from the conversation, so he does as he’s told, waiting patiently as she bustles around the apartment and comes back with a bag.  “There, you bring him that. There’s some good home cooking in there - he’s so  _ skinny, _ he needs some meat on those bones - and a few books.  Will you bring him that for me?”

“Yes ma’am, I will.”  Kix smiles as he takes the bag, holding it carefully.  “I’ll let him know you sent it.”

She smiles again and reaches up to pat his cheek.  “You look out for our boy, then.” She shoos him away, toward the elevator, and he chuckles as he obediently trots off.

* * *

“From your neighbor a floor down,” Kix says when Anomaly opens the door, handing over the bag, “She’s… fun.”

“Oh, Mrs. Barnes.  Yeah, she’s a trip,” Anomaly says with a grin, heading into the apartment, pulling out a bag of cookies and what looks like a pan of meatloaf.  He tosses one of the cookies to Kix, who moans at the taste. “Y’know, she was one of the most popular burlesque dancers in the city, back in the day?  She’s got a ton of stories about it, all the gangsters that used to go to the club, just to see her.” His smile is fond. “She and the girls get together once a week still.  __ have a standing invitation.”

Kix laughs and shakes his head.  “Trust you to get an exclusive invitation.”

“What can I say, it’s the charm.”  Anomaly winks at him. “They think I’m cute.”

“Everybody thinks you’re cute,” Kix says, with a fond roll of his eyes.

“‘Cause I am.  But I help her with shopping, and keeping things up around the place, and she could use the company.  She’s by herself a lot, never had kids or anything, so I help out where I can. It’s nothing really, but she likes the company.”  Anomaly’s smile is small and boyish, and he ducks his head, like he’s a little sheepish about admitting he has a softer side. 

Kix knows Anomaly won’t accept anything he wants to say - that he’s a good man, that he’s better than he thinks he is, that he doesn’t give himself the credit he deserves - so he just squeezes the back of his neck and then hands him a cookie.  Maybe one day Anomaly will see how loved he is, and why, even if it’s not today.


End file.
